Fox

The first 50 pages were a struggle then I was riveted and could not put it down

I did not read ahead of time that this was a book about a pedophile or I probably would not have gotten it. Writing was excellent but another of my issues is that I did not like even one of the characters. Last half of nthe book was better than first.

Very intense read. JCO is a masterful storyteller. That said, the subject and focus of the narrative is utterly creepy. At the end, there is no moment of reckoning. Everything is swept beneath the opulent rugs that decorate the Headmistress’ office. People and reputations are protected and the truth is totally obscured. Probably the creepiest book I’ve ever read.

I’ve been reading JCO since my sister turned me on to “Expensive People.” I ate her up. She’s written books I didn’t love, but for the most part she’s just an incredible storyteller. This book was “un-put-down-able.” Shocking, infuriating. This is how child predators operate. She’s 87 but she’s still got it! If you can bear it, read it!

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with JCO over many decades. This latest was astonishingly good. A remarkable achievement coming from a writer close to 90 who remains sharply observant about the best and worst of human nature, and capable of spellbinding plotting. When someone writes a review simply stating “who wants to read about teachers abusing…” I have to wonder what she thought she was getting into. Turning a blind eye to abuse - as it seems happened in this book - is how it’s allowed to continue. I found the climax and denouement especially surprising. Five stars this time for JCO.

Oats at her best! Great read and thought provoking.

Oates once again delves deep into her characters and storyline, examining a completely deplorable topic that has become all too pervasive in society and even legal around the globe.

I couldn’t put this one down - so many unanticipated twists in the story. One truly awful character and many damaged people playing their parts in this mystery/emotional thriller.

Reading this book is something else. I will be processing the story, the prose, the art of it all for a long time to come. Genius

I am still trying to catch my breath, having hyper ventilated through the novel. Taut and demanding, but always pertinent and touching.Linda McDonald

(SPOILERS!) I am an admirer of Ms. Oates, though by no means an expert, having read only a handful of her many books. Someone recommended this book to me, so I decided to give it a try. I liked it quite a lot.This novel tells the story of Francis Fox (born Frank Farrell), a 40ish-year-old pedophile who finally gets his comeuppance when he is murdered. Having moved from school to school for many years, he has been a middle school English teacher for only a few months at the Langhorne Academy in South Jersey (Wieland, to be precise) when his body is found in his car. The car is in a remote ravine and his body has been picked over by animals. The main thread of the plot is the investigation of his murder. The main interest of the novel is the investigation of his character and that of the people around him.There are two main parts to Fox’s character: his predatory behavior and his self-delusion. Ms. Oates has always been expert at describing disturbing behavior and it is her almost hesitant approach to the abuse of the young girls (his “kittens”) by “Mr. Tongue” and “Mr. Teddy Bear” that heightening the disgust and is the hallmark of Fox’s self-delusion. Layered on top of that is his rather obvious disgust for Nabokov’s Lolita and his constant self-justification as we listen to his internal monologue. This is one twisted man.Frankly, however, nearly everyone in this novel is twisted to some degree. Every child Fox abuses loves him and mourns his death. Every adult woman he meets is charmed by him and many support him in ways that make his predation easier. The parents of the abused children are in complete denial even in the fact of incontrovertible evidence. Detective Zwender, investigating the murder, decides to circumvent the law and bury evidence to let the killer (actually accessory) off the hook. Zwender’s subordinate is a born-again Christian prone to violence. Every single one of these characters deserves and essay of their own and each provides interesting food for thought.I also like how Oates brings out sad truths of our society; primarily, how predators are often not given the punishment they deserve because organizations (like the schools here) would rather pass the problem on to another school rather than risk the bad publicity, allowing these people to thrive. In addition, she hits the mark when she shows how small town justice often works—the truth being buried to “protect the innocent”. Perhaps, but it also mainly protects the rich and powerful and is its own form of self-justification, in a mirror to Fox.In the end, though I liked how Oates builds up both her history of Fox and the investigation into his death gradually, and how she cleverly foreshadows the reveal of the killer (and the accessory), I felt that it was all a bit too much. Does not a single person who ferrets out what Fox is doing attempt to stop him? Does every single girl Fox assaults love him so much that he (or his reputation, at least) get away with it? Does no one in this small town have enough animosity towards this fancy private school in their midst that they’re not willing to drag its skeletons out into the open? I know there’s kernels of truth here because I’ve seen it, but it seems to me that someone in here should be better, even if the way the world is eventually wins.

Not sure what i was expecting but not the best story i have read. In fact rather like a slow moving trending of water to a dying end.

5 stars for writing, NEGATIVE FIVE STARS FOR THE MATERIAL THIS BOOK IS MADE OF… WHY IS IT SO HEAVY?????

Francis Fox was not always known by that name; indeed, his teaching career at an exclusive private junior high school began when he was Frank Farrell. A scandal and subsequent non-disclosure settlement led to his changing his name and moving to backwoods New Jersey, where he is hired by Headmistress P. Cady as an English teacher at her exclusive private school, the Langhorne Academy. There, Fox is readily extolled as an exceptional teacher who takes exceptional time with his students. With *some* students in particular. When he disappears and subsequently a dismembered body is found in a remote part of the county, Detective Horace Zwender must use all his skills to determine what happened…. Joyce Carol Oates is, of course, one of the greatest writers working today; her prose is exquisite and her topics are explored in eloquent detail. I am more familiar with her short stories (especially as published in EQMM), but she is just as fascinating at length. And this is a lengthy novel, some 650 pages, but all of it is lean meat, no fat to trim. The subject is horrific, but no matter how disgusted the reader gets, she cannot turn away but must keep reading. Very highly recommended, but be warned, there is gruesome content here.

It was so; never a time that it could have been anyone else.But JCO never disappoints either.If you know, you know.

In typical JCO fashion, this book consumed me for the 3 days it took me to complete. This is a touchy subject, both socially and morally.. disgusting at best by the majority of people but yet, so damn interesting. No doubt I will never forget this book. I strongly recommend but please, beware.

After finishing Fox, I double-checked JCO's age. Truly, she is 87 and at the very top of her game. I was held in her grip from the first to last page. JCO, like no other author, paints characters and scenes that are impossible to forget, characters and scenes that haunt. The extended scene where P. Cady interviews Fox was beyond-brilliant; you already know what he is, that she's being played (in the worst sense), but as reader you are pulled into his charm against your will. Scene after scene is like this, that is the genius of JCO. Don't miss the epilogue, and for heavens' sake, don't skip ahead to it.

I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down, I have two criticisms:1. Sometimes she is just too wordy.2. What happened to Mary Ann? And what was that weird scene where Mr Pfenning apparently used his email address to subscribe to Fox’s website? Neither one of these was ever tied up, and that was unsatisfying as they seemed relevant to the mystery and the events of the story.

Classic Joyce Carol Oates…..Filled with a cast of extremely well developed characters, the majority of whom are unsavory. Beautifully written. Filled with incredible epiphanies that I highlight because I don’t want to forget how precisely she explains why the characters behave the way they do. I love everything she’s written and hope she continues to be as prolific as she has been.

Just keep reading as creepy and disgusting as it gets. Why do I need to know this? This book is way too long but it has to be. The whole nauseating story needs to be told. I can’t say I loved it but I read it and you should, too.